Sports
Roneil Walcott
Trinidad and Tobago men’s football team coach Dwight Yorke has named his 26-man squad for two crucial Fifa World Cup qualifiers at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, against Jamaica and Bermuda on November 13 and 18, respectively, with 22-year-old US-born striker Roald Mitchell receiving his maiden call-up.
The team was revealed on November 10, with the New York Red Bulls II player being one of five changes to Yorke’s squad from last month’s qualifying matches away to Bermuda and Curacao. Also included in the squad are playmakers Daniel David and Lindell Sween, with Defence Force right back Isaiah Garcia and veteran goalie Marvin Phillip also being recalled. Making way are the injured pair of Molik Khan and Crystal Palace’s Rio Cardines, as well as Defence Force custodian Jabari St Hillaire and strikers Isaiah Lee and Justin Obikwu.
The 19-year-old Cardines has been a regular fixture for Yorke at right back since making his senior team debut against the Jamaicans in the Unity Cup back in May, and has started all four games in Concacaf’s final qualifying round. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Khan started in TT’s 1-1 qualifying draw away to Curacao last month and began brightly before being substituted at halftime.
The 22-year-old David, who plays with MIC Central FC Reboot in the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL), has received his first call-up under Yorke but did feature under former coach Angus Eve in a pair of friendlies against Guyana last May. The 19-year-old Sween has returned to Trinidad after a three-month stint with Croatian second division club NK Jarun. On November 7, the talented Sween seemingly did enough to persuade Yorke after scoring a goal for a TTPFL select XI in a practice match against the national team, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Yorke’s squad also includes regulars such as Kevin Molino, Spartak Moscow’s Levi Garcia, central midfielders Daniel Phillips and Andre Rampersad, centre back Kobi Henry and Major League Soccer flankers Dante Sealy and Tyrese Spicer, both of whom have been locked in as starters after making their debuts earlier this year.
TT are currently third in group B of Concacaf’s final round on five points, with Jamaica (nine points) and Curacao (eight points) occupying the top two spots in the group at present. At the end of the final round, Concacaf’s three group winners will qualify for the Fifa 2026 World Cup, with the two best second-placed teams advancing to Fifa’s intercontinental playoffs.
TT 26-man squad for World Cup qualifiers versus Bermuda and Jamaica:
Goalkeepers: Jabari Brice, Marvin Phillip, Denzil Smith.
Defenders: Isaiah Garcia, Justin Garcia, Kobi Henry, Deron Payne, Noah Powder, Andre Raymond, Josiah Trimmingham.
Midfielders: Kaile Auvray, Daniel David, Wayne Frederick II, Real Gill, Jerrin Jackie, Kevin Molino, Daniel Phillips, Andre Rampersad, Dante Sealy, Tyrese Spicer, Lindell Sween, Steffen Yeates.
Forwards: Levi Garcia, Nathaniel James, Roald Mitchell, Ryan Telfer.
